Caro, a German shepherd who sniffed out explosives, died on Barksdale Air Force Base, said base spokeswoman Maj. Sharon Branick. (Airman 1C Andrew Moua / Air Force)

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Officials at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, are investigating the weekend death of a military working dog.

Caro, a German shepherd who sniffed out explosives, died on base, said Barksdale spokeswoman Maj. Sharon Branick. She declined to release information about his handler or details surrounding the dog’s death, such as where he was discovered, citing the ongoing investigation.

“Working dogs are part of our military family, and they are an invaluable member of our team. A lot of these dogs have provided services that saved service members’ lives,” Branick said.

Caro was accepted into the military working dog program in 2008 and had deployed to Iraq, she said.

“We are grieved by the loss of this working dog and are currently investigating the circumstances of his death,” which could take two more weeks, Branick said. Additional information will be released at that time, she said.